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Pro sports franchises employ thousands of baseball, football, basketball, hockey and soccer players. Players hire agents to help them negotiate contracts and to handle the business side of their careers. Agents earn a percentage of the annual earnings of the athletes they represent, and that may mean a six-figure or seven-figure annual income. To work as an agent, you must complete a few basic steps.

1.

Earn a college degree. You need to have a solid education to work as a sports agent. This starts with a bachelor’s degree. You may earn a degree in any field, but it pays to have a degree in business, particularly a finance degree. Earning a master’s degree gives you a better opportunity to break into the business. Some agents go a step further and earn a law degree, which requires three years of education beyond a four-year bachelor’s degree. A college education also gives you the opportunity to develop friendships with top athletes at your college. They may give you an opportunity to represent them if you can earn their confidence early-on.

2.

Send resumes and a cover letter to current agents. Express your interest in working for them. Agents may hire you to as salaried assistants. This gives you an opportunity to learn the industry. Some agents hire interns. Check with your college to see if it has internship programs for aspiring sports agents. While it benefits you to work for another agent before launching your own career, it is not absolutely necessary. A second option involves paying companies that offer sports agent training. Pro Sports Group, for instance, offers a course that teaches you the basics of the sports agent business.

3.

Take and pass the agent test. Each sport has its test, and they are not necessarily the same. To pass a test, you must have complete knowledge of the contractual agreements between players and owners. For example, the Major League Baseball Players Agreement specifies when players may become free agents, how players may negotiate their salaries before the free-agent period and how newly drafted players and free agents may be signed. The NFL requires you to take the agent test in Washington D.C., and you must pay a $1,650 fee to take the test.

4.

Pass a background check and sign an agreement to abide by ethical standards. Each sport’s players association will conduct a background check before approving you to work as an agent. Some sports offer mandatory or voluntary certification programs. Check with your sport's player’s association about what it requires.

5.

Purchase agent insurance. You must be insured to work as an agent. Insurance may cost you $500 to $2,000 annually, depending on the policy you choose.

6.

Recruit players. Until you land your first client, you cannot earn a salary. Therefore, you must begin looking for athletes to represent. You may have connections through college, friends or relatives to a few players. Contact them and make your pitch. Explain why you are the best person to represent them. Stress that you have few clients and plan to give them your complete attention. Tell them about experience you have if you worked as an assistant for an established agent.

7.

Sign current professional athletes. If you can establish a few clients who already earn pro salaries, it may pay huge dividends. You will have an instant income when you begin to represent them, and you may succeed in recruiting more amateurs on the verge of a pro career when you can show them that you already represent professional athletes.

8.

Sign beginning pro athletes and help them establish their careers. You will need clients who have signed pro contracts, usually after a draft of amateur players. Athletes may appear at pre-draft events where they showcase their skills for pro scouts and team executives. Participation in these events costs money, so be prepared to pay fees out-of-pocket. If your client was a popular prep or college sports star, you may seek an endorsement contract with a sports drink company, athletic shoe company, or another consumer corporation. This can establish an income for your new client, and it will give you the money needed to attend tryout camps.

9.

Negotiate contracts for your first clients. Until you succeed in working out a contract deal with the team, your client cannot begin a pro career, and you cannot earn an income.

Tip

Expect to receive approximately 2 percent of your clients' earnings.

Warning

Fierce competition in the sports agent business limits your opportunities.

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About the Author

Based in Central Florida, Ron White has worked as professional journalist since 2001. He specializes in sports and business. White started his career as a sportswriter and later worked as associate editor for Maintenance Sales News and as the assistant editor for "The Observer," a daily newspaper based in New Smyrna Beach, Fla. White has written more than 2,000 news and sports stories for newspapers and websites. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Eastern Illinois University.

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White, Ron. "Steps to Be a Sports Agent." Work - Chron.com, http://work.chron.com/steps-sports-agent-19843.html. Accessed 18 December 2018.

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